‘Very brave from Berghuis, the media should think more carefully about their role’

The return of Steven Berghuis in a full Kuip kept things busy in the run-up to Feyenoord-Ajax (1-1). The mood for the ever-charged Classic was therefore even more explosive than usual. As far as Berghuis is concerned, it was all too much, resulting in threats to his address.

“The media has been stirring it up nicely in all sorts of coverage,” he told ESPN. “I have heard sensible people, our trainer and the Feyenoord trainer for example, but also very stupid ones.”

“Very brave,” says Arno Vermeulen Studio Football. “We think many of those players are good that he also thinks something about the media. You really have to dare and be able to substantiate it as well as he does. Good that the media are looking at their role. That they have to think better. It is specific about the AD, but it could have been another one.”

Berghuis was referring, among other things, to the front page of the sports section of the Algemeen Dagblad, in which words such as chants, foaming at the mouth, pelting the bus and a bit worked up adorn a photo of the somewhat aggressive-looking ex-Feyenoorder in an Ajax shirt.

Also the advice of René van der Gijp to Ajax Inside today to leave Berghuis at home contributed to mood-setting, according to the Orange international. As well as a tweet from RTL via the talk show account a woman stating that it would be a Classic of “life and death”.

“Why do you have to use those words?”, Berghuis wondered. “Think a bit about what you’re saying. I don’t have Twitter and Facebook myself, but I do get all kinds of things forwarded. My grandmother sent a message this morning that she’s so worried.”

Rafael van der Vaart does not think that the media are to blame for the threats against Berghuis.

“What I miss is that someone dares to say that it is scandalous what those fans are doing. Those threateners are also in the stadium. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the football of Feyenoord, but it is exactly what Berghuis also says: whistle in the stadium fine, outside it must be respectful.”

Look below for an alternative summary of The Classic, the regular features Final signal by Frank Heinen (about Jan Sørensen) and De Muurligger by Hugo Borst (about Kjell Scherpen) and fragments with a statement by Rafael van der Vaart and words of praise for talented Feyenoord players.